I’ve implemented a feature which allows visitors to purchase prints and cards through Fotomoto. The next step is to test their output, so I’ll be ordering a few of my images along with the freeware test image posted above. You can find it and other test images through Dry Creek Photo: Color Management Tools and Utilities.
Fotomoto looks promising, and it’s easy to implement. However, they partner with several labs for output depending on print size and don’t (yet) offer printer/paper profiles for soft proofing. That makes me a little nervous.
Eventually, Fotomoto plans to offer a way for photographers to fullfill orders with their own prints. I’ve been so happy with service from White House Custom Color, drop-shipping from them would be ideal!
April, I am very very interested in finding out your impressions of your experience. Will follow your posts on this topic with interest. Good luck
Good luck, April! Marketing some of my images has occurred to me, but I have so few, while you have so many – so I predict your increasing success in this venture.
Placing the order for (test) prints yesterday, I was a bit dismayed to see a note: “Please allow up to 7 days before shipping,” plus 5 days for shipping at the standard rate. Ouch. That’s about 2 weeks for delivery.
However! The
order wascards were printed and shipped today. 🙂 (Prints are still in process.)That is one area where I’m guessing Fotomoto will have to stay competitive. The order process through Imagekind notes “Most prints ship next business day!”
Fingers crossed on quality. I’m pleased Fotomoto allows photographers to order test prints at cost.
The test prints came back and…I’m happy!
Everything was ordered on 4/8. Greeting and postcards arrived within a few days. The shipment of prints, from 8×10″ to 18×24″ on two different papers arrived 4/15. A one week turnaround is definitely acceptable.
Oh, and I’m the “featured photographer” on Fotomoto today. 🙂
Hi April,
Thanks for testing Fotomoto! I’m happy that you are pleased with the print quality. I want to mention a couple of things I wanted to mention:
– We work with different print partners for different products, which means postcards and prints. For prints, we only have one partner in the US. We are planning to add more print partners in different continents though, so we can save on the shipping time and cost for international orders.
– We say 7 days processing time, because some times photographers take days to upload their high res photos. We guarantee to sent out the prints in 2 days, but it usually happen in 1 day.
Welcome to our community!
–The Fotomoto Team!
This is good info to have about print processing and turnaround! Thank you for posting it here, Fotomoto.
Checking output dimensions of the live area in prints against my crop marks, I also note they are *exact* to the file dimensions.
I’m used to some expansion from the lab I use — as happens in the lab Fotomoto partners with for greeting and postcards. For Fotomoto prints, however, I’ll need to build an allowance for matting into the high-res files of about 1/4″ each dimension.
Not a problem, but useful to know!